Derringer fun

[George]

Anyone shoot the old CVA .45 caliber Derringer? I've had one since Peck was pup, never really shoot it. I did take it along on a recent outing and try a little plinking at card table range. Not a bad little gun, and fun. Loaded with 20 grains 3F, .440" swaged Horniday balls and .010" cotton patch with beeswax lard lube.







Spence

 

[Don]

I have the Traditions version of your derringer. They are a hoot. I have other derringer types and they are all fun and challenging to get on target. You did well with yours.

Don

 

[Treestalker]

Spence, my brother bought one years ago and had the triggerguard and escutions silver plated by a friend, and added a nickle silver oval on the butt. He shot the daylights out of it. One day someone broke in our house and stole the barrel off the table where he had left it disassembled :cursing:.I replaced the barrel with a piece of .36 rifle barrel I had, and it worked fine ,but the lock never quite fit the drum assy. Dang, I'm going to have to build another homegrown derringer! They are really handy for snakes and surprisingly accurate if you add a rear sight and practice like my late brother Tiny. Enjoy! Treestalker.

 

[Patocazador]

That's the first gun I ever put together. I didn't know anything about muzzleloaders and bought it for about $29 in the 70s. Basically, I just sanded, stained and assembled it. When I got done, I still didn't know much about muzzleloaders. I shot it 3 or 4 times with just a bare .445 ball. I didn't know you were supposed to put a piece of cloth around the things first.

I still can't hit anything farther than 15 feet with it. Jukar barrel and all, it's not worth much more than what I paid for it in my estimation. :shake:

 

[George]

Yeah, they are not family heirlooms, for sure. Still, mine has been completely trouble free and dependable, and plinking with it is good way to spend an afternoon.

Spence

 

[freekforge]

My dad built one in the 70s and we still have it. unfortunately the main spring is too weak to pop a cap now. But it was a fun gun when it worked.

 

[cynthialee]

I have had a few of them. Fun to shoot. But seems every time I get one I get it at a sweet price and can't help selling it off at a profit.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I have had a few of them. Fun to shoot. But seems every time I get one I get it at a sweet price and can't help selling it off at a profit.

So, what's wrong with that? :wink:

Actually, I think we all us greybeards had one once upon a time. 3 or 4 of us got in a shooting match one day with them. The target was a line of beer cans(maybe Coke, who knows?)about 50 yards away. Finally walked a hit into one on about try #8. Hint: That's when you stop and try to act superior! That merry band of yahoos also had a shiny derringer contest going. Wish I had pictures of what we did to some of them. Inlays, faux tiger maple...even some pink stain! Holy Krispy Kremes, Batman! :rotf:

 

[rafterob]

That was my first BP gun also, the mainspring on mine was weak also. I would just hold the hammer all the way back with my thumb as I pulled the trigger and then let go.

 

[FishDFly]

I always wanted one, this is not helping.

 

[azmntman]

I had one, was fun first few shots but as Im kinda mostly about accuracy I lost interest quick. IMHO NOT WORTH THE PRESENT COST (got mine for like $49.00) Now they selling at least twice that

 

[cynthialee]

I had one, was fun first few shots but as Im kinda mostly about accuracy I lost interest quick. IMHO NOT WORTH THE PRESENT COST (got mine for like $49.00) Now they selling at least twice that

parted out one of these derringers will fetch more than $98.00
I sold a pretty, nicely stained stock, for a Philly Derringer for $120.00 last year. Just the stock, not counting the lock, trigger and barrel.

But then some people aren't that bright it seems....

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Both of my derringers cost me a whole $19.95 in kit form a long time ago. Well worth it compared to today's prices... :thumbsup:

 

[phoenix511]

Yep, these are a piece of junk, maybe mine was from Dixie in the 1960's. Paid little for it so I felt free to work on it. No great loss if I screw up a (then) $30.00 item.

Coil spring lock was weak and I learned to replaced it with a stronger coil spring.

My first checkering attempt was on that stock ... maybe Beech or something colorless and straight-grained.

Brass trigger plate broke behind the guard, so I got a replacement from ToTW, that needed some work to fit the inlet, plus D&T it for the metric tang screw.

I'm always thankful I bought this junk pistol as I had an opportunity to learn so many things relating to muzzle loaders.

 

[BillinOregon]

Spence, I bought one of those kits many years ago when a West Coast chain called Payless Drugs had gun departments. Think it was $20. Finally put mine together, and boy it was loud! It went down the road some time ago.

 

[George]

You guys are a tough room. :haha: Sorry for your troubles, I didn't ralize I was the only guy on the planet who has one which actually works and is fun to shoot. Being easy to please does pay off at times. :haha:

Spence

 

[Wes/Tex]

You guys are a tough room. :haha: Sorry for your troubles, I didn't ralize I was the only guy on the planet who has one which actually works and is fun to shoot. Being easy to please does pay off at times. :haha:

Spence

Never had a lick of trouble with mine either...unless you consider short barrel and virtually no sight a problem! :wink: Our little band of merry mutants had a blast with the daft things. Most Coors cans were safe enough 50 feet away but sometimes we'd get a good ricochet! :wink:
Beginning to wonder if the early ones were better made, considering the comments above. Don't recall a bad spring or any other major problems with them back then. One of our lunatics even had cross-draw holsters he'd made for his pair...Then paid to have them nickle plated! :youcrazy:

 

[George]

Most Coors cans were safe enough 50 feet away but sometimes we'd get a good ricochet! :wink:

Fifty feet? That's a whopper of a card table.

Spence

 

[Zonie]

Hey Spence!

Even ole Zonie has one that is fun to shoot.

I will admit it is one of the pistols the burglar left on the wall when he stole most of my other pistols though.

 

[George]

You have sophisticated and discerning burglars in your neighborhood, Zonie, Well, not too hard to understand, they aren't much pistol. Still, I wonder how different the experience of shooting one, today, is from in their heyday.

The original Lincoln Deringer is 5.75" long with a 2.5" barrel in .44 caliber. My Derringer is 7.5" long with a 2.5" barrel in .45 caliber, Standing up like a man, shooting one-handed and with no sights, I shot this 10 shot, 4.75" x 2.5" group at a .5" bull at 7 yards. Loaded with 20 gr. 3F Goex it's not the kind of pistol Dirty Harry would choose, because it won't shoot through your engine block, but still, I wouldn't want me shooting at me with it. :haha:

Spence